Manually driven casting machine



April 14, 1936.

W. l. CARPENTER MANUALLY DRIVEN CASTING MACHINE Filed May 3l, 1934 2 sheets-sheet 1 Syvum/Wod,

April 14, 1936'. l 'w CARPENTER 2,037,617

MANUALLY DRIVEN CASTING MACHINE m H www' k) t@ www; 1a/yew Patented Apr. 14, `1936 UMTED STATE MANUALLX nnrvEN CASTING MACHINE Webster I. Carpenter, Norfolk, Va.

9 Claims.

:'p'f'rms' invention relates ma centrifugal casting machine designed primarily for use in the making of metallic dental castings, but it is to be understood that a machine, in accordance with i this invention may be employed in any connection for which it is found applicable, and has for its object to provide a machine of the class referred to, constructed in a manner as hereinafter set forth whereby lthe applied force thereto will initially create a lifting action upon a casting element carrying a body of molten metal for throwing the latter down into the mold on the first half of the first revolution of the machine and immediately following the throwing of the metal into the mold building up a centrifugal force sufficient to retain the metal in the mold during the second half of said first revolution and during successive revolutions of the machine until the metal has cooled sufficiently to retain shape.

Centrifugal force is a delayed force, it takes time to build it up and for that reason it is not dependable to force the metal in the mold while it is very hot. It is true that centrifugal forc is used in some forms of casting machines to force the molten metal into the mold, but itis recognized that also, that the metal has slightly cooled 1 before the centrifugal force has built up sufficiently to force the metal into the mold, and for this reason it is found that when using a specied size sprue opening to mold that the molten metal, having slightly-cooled while awaiting for the centrifugal force to build up, does not flow as freely,

thereby preventing as much molten metal flowing /through the specified sprue opening as would be possible, could the molten metal be forced into the mold immediately while it is very hot, and

lin a very high state of fluidity. It is further recognized, that molten metal in a very high state of fluidity or while very hot, will adapt to the shape, and crevices of the mold more perfectly, than it is possible to do when. it has slightly cooled, yet though, still in a uid state, is not as mobile as a very hot freely flowing molten metal. It is the primary object of .this invention to immediately on the start of the machine toI Application May 31. 1934, serial No. 12u53 i (ci. en -65.1)

1y cool. This has a. practical value to the dentist, or the user of the machine. It means that. the one using the machine does not have to use a large number of sprue openings to' the mold to accommodate the passage of the molten metal, 5 because the machine acts to throw the molten metal immediately into the mold while the metal is in a very fiuid state.

A further object of the invention is to provide a centrifugal casting machine for throwing metal 10 in a very fluid state into a mold, whereby the very hot iiuid state metal will adapt itself to all nooks and crannies of the mold, thereby making a casting with sharp detail that is a perfect casting.

.It is a well known fact that when the molten l5 metal has seriously cooled, that it does not, in

a rather stiffened condition, iiow to all nooks and crannies of the mold. Castings, therefore, have no detail, and the edges all are round, without sharp detail.

A'further object of the invention is to provide a centrifugal casting machine which will permit' of the metal, ,being heated in the end of the casting element, itself. This keeps the said element hot while the metal is being melted. When the 25 metal is melted, the machine is started, the metal does not have to travel through the air from a crucibleto the casting element and thereby cool off seriously, but it being already on the top of the casting element, when the machine starts, 30 is thrown immediately into the mold through the sprue opening leading to the latter.

In the drawingsz- Figure 1 is a side elevation, partly in section of the centrifugal'casting machine, 35 Figure 2 is a. fragmentary view of the machine partly in longitudinal section,

Figure 3 is a detail sectional view illustrating the carrier or basket'and casting element, and

Figure 4 is a view looking toward the inner 40 face of the housing for the manually driven driv` ing mechanism. The machine includes a housing 5 formed of a semi-oval part 6 and a tubular part 1 extending upwardly from one end of the part 5. The latter 45 has a front wall 8 and a rear wall 9 formed with `an opening I0. The wall 8 has an opening II. Arranged within the part 6 is a train of gearing I2 for rotating a sectional operating shaft I3 which extends from within the part ,6 and up 50.

through and above the upper end of part 1. Only one of the gears of the train I2 is shown and which is designated at I4. The gear I4 is fixed to a rotatable drive shaft I5 therefor. The shaft I5 is journaled in and extends outwardly 55 through opening li from wall 8. The shaft I5 carries a crank handle I6 for manually rotating it.

Formed integral (Figure 4) with the upper portion of the outer face of wall 9 is a pair of spaced aligning clamping lugs i1, i8 disposed upon the same inclined plane. integral with the lower portion of the outer face of wall 9 below and at a point between the lugs I1, I8 is an inclined apertured lug i9. The upper face of lug I9 is disposed in an incline plane parallel to the plane 0f the lower faces of lugs I1, I8. The aperture in lug I9 is designated 20 and has its wall threaded. A clamping screw 2| extends upwardly through lug I9 and threadedly engages with' the wall of opening 20. The screw 2I at its upper end is formed with an enlarged part 22 to constitute an abutment which is disposed in a plane parallel to the plane of the inner faces of lugs I1, 58. The screw 2I coacts with the lugs I1, I8

for clamping housing 5 to support 23 and the inclined inner faces of the lugs I1, I8 in connection with the inclined abutment part 22 coact with the support 23 to dispose the shaft I3 at an inclination to the perpendicular, that is to Say at an obtuse angle with respect to drive shaft I5.

The shaft 'i3 is formed of a lower section 24 and an upper section 25. The section 24 at its upper end is bifurcated as at 26. The section 25 is enlarged at its lower end, as at 21 and formed with a socket, as at 28 for receiving the bifurcated upper portion of section 24. The shaft sections 24, 25 are connected together so they will i rotate in unison by a pin 29 which is secured to part 21 diametrically of the latter and extends across and seats upon the bottom wall of the furcation 30. The depth of the furcation 30 is such that when shaft sections 24, 25 are coupled together the lower end of section 25 will be spaced from the top edge 3l of part 1 of housing 5. The upper end of shaft 25 is formed with a sleeve 32 provided with internal threads 33. 'I'he sleeve 32 is disposed transversely of and at a slight upward inclination from one end to the other with respect to the axis of shaft I3. The length and inner diameter of sleeve 32 is greater than that part of the shaft I3 below the sleeve.

Extending through and threadedly engaging with the sleeve 32 is a horizontally disposed hanger shaft 34 provided intermediate its ends with a group of threads- 35 and ateach end with a group of threads indicated at 36, 31. At the inner ends of the groups 36, 31 shaft 34 is formed with shoulders 38, 39 respectively. The shaft 34 is disposed at a slight upward inclination from one end to the other due to the pitch of sleeve 32.

The shaft 34 is also disposed at an oblique angle with respect to the shaft I3. Each end edge of shaft 34 is formed with a concave recess indicated at 40, 4I. Associated with each end of shaft 34 is a suspension member indicated at 42, 43. The member 42 consists of a stem 44 having its upper end formed with a spherical enlargement on ball 45 `and its lower end reduced as at 46 and provided with an aperture 41. The member 43 consists of a stem 48 formed at its upper and lower ends with spherical enlargements or balls 49, 58 respectively. The enlargements 45, 49 are seated in the recesses 48, 4I respectively, and are coupled to shaft 34 by the internally threaded retaining collars 5I, 52 respectively which threadedly engage with threads 36, 31 respectively and abut shoulders 38, 39 respectively and extend from the ends of shaft 34. The collars 5I, 52 are formed at their outer ends with inwardly ex,

tending annular flanges 53, 54 respectively having curved rear faces bearing against the enlargements 45, 49 respectively. The recess 48,

enlargement 45 and sleeve 5I provides a universal joint connection between the suspension member 42 and shaft 34. The recess 4 l, eng5 largement 45 and sleeve 52 forms a universal joint connection between the suspension member 43 and shaft 34. The shaft 34 is revolved from shaft I3 to travel in a substantially disposed horizontal circular path arranged at a slight inclination with respect to a perpendicular line extending through the vertical median of the sleeve 32, whereby the ends of shaft 34 will alternately travel upwardly and downwardly while moving in the path of travel thereof. 16

There is associated with one end of shaft 34 a freely pivoting carrier or basket 55for acasting element 56. The carrier 55 consists of a bottom plate 51, a pair of oppositely disposed suspension 58, 59 joined at their lower ends to diametrically opposed points of plate 51. The arms 58, 59, having their upper parts extended inwardly at ar; upward inclination as at 80, 6I respectively and then vertically as at 62,963 respectively. The portions 62, 63 of arms 58, 59 are arranged in parallel spaced relation and apertured as at 64. Securedto the inner faces of the arms 58, 59 between the transverse medians thereof and their lower ends is an annulus 65 for removably supporting a removable annular balance B6. The 30 lower end 46 is disposed between the portions B2,

63 of arms 58, 59 respectively and with its opening 41 aligning with the apertures 54. Extending through opening 41 and apertures 64 is a pivot bolt 61 carrying a retaining nut 68. The 35 pivot 61 is disposed at right angles to the axis of shaft 34.

There is associated with the other end of shaft 34 a freely movable counterbalance 89 consisting of a weight 18 having a reduced end portion 1I formed within its edge 12 with a concave recess 13. The weight 10 is closely encompassed throughout, with the exception of its edges 12 by a casing 14 extended from said edge. Casing 14 is peripherally threaded as at 15 and is formed of 45 any suitable metallic material possessing a characteristic to reduce the indenting thereof to a minimum. The enlargement 58 is seated in the recess 13. Threadedly engaging with the casing 14 is a flanged retaining member 13 formed with an opening 11 for a passage of the part of the enlargement 58. The member 1B couples the enlargement 50 to the counterbalance 69 and forms in connection with recess 13 and said enlargement a universal joint connection between member 43 and counterbalance 69.

With reference to Figure 3 the casting element 56 is shown as consisting of a ring 18, an invest-' ment 19 having a molding chamber SI1!v and a sprue opening BI leading to the latter. One end of the investment is formed with a recess 82 to receive the metallic body 83 which is to be melted. The recess is arranged at the base of an opening 84 having its wall terraced as at 85. The outer end of the sprue opening 84 communicates with the 65 recess 82.

The shaft 34 is shiftable relative to sleeve 32, for adjusting it to balanced position and when adjusted one end thereof is moved away from and its other end moved towards the center of gravity 70 without it being necessary to adjust the counterbalance lengthwise of said shaft.

The counterbalance 69 is loos/ely suspended from one end of shaft 34 so as to allow freedom of movement of the latter for a quick start. This is necessary in a manually controlled machine, since it is the natural way for an operator to pull lightly on the handle of the machine when first starting it, and gradually increasing the pull of the handle until he has'speeded the machine up to the desired speed, at which time he lessens the pull on the handle, thereby maintaining the machine at the desired speed only. The machine is constructed to function properly as to end result, by not weighting too heavily the shaft 34 thereby preventing the machine from starting at the desired speed.

The machine permits of the metal being heated in one end of the casting element itself by a blow pipe, and this keeps the said element hot while the metal is being melted. When the metal has melted, the machine is started and the molten metal travels immediately into` the molding chamber through the sprue opening. 'Ihe construction of the machinevwill give a lift action on the startingthereof, before any centrifugal force has had time to build up and such action throws the very hot molten metal immediately down into the molding chamber on the first half turn of the first turn of shaft 34. By this time the centrifugal force has built up suiciently to retain the molten metal in the molding chamber during the second one half turn of the shaft 34, and for all successive turns of said shaft, until the metal has cooled suiiciently to retain shape. The lifting action attained on the starting ofthe machine is due to the inclination of the operating shaft. The arranging of sleeve 32 in the. manner as shown prevents the carrier or counterbalance carried by shaft 34 hitting the support 23, the

v blow pipe on the latter or other objects on the support during the revolving of shaft 34, and which would not be the case if the ends of sleeve 32 were parallel to the axis of shaft I3.

When the ,machine is operated, the shaft 34 sweeps out two conical paths with the apices of the cones adjacent. The axes of the two cones being common to each other and being one and the same as the axis of the shaft I3. Upon initially starting the machine, the shaft 34 not only starts to course in a circle, but as the shaft 34 travels in a slightly upward direction, the carrier 55v swings outwardly and the shaft 34 tends to lift the carrier 55 until its long axis approaches a point approximately at right angle to the axis of shaft 34, and therefore the centrifugal force does not whip the carrier up to position as the machine speeds up. During the aforesaid outward and lifting action applied to the carrier 55, the latter at the same time being carried in a circular path, the axis of which is parallel and one and the same as the axis of shaft I3. The axis of shaft I3 is permanently inclined to the vertical. No two points of the shaft 34 travel in the same path, but each individual point of shaft 34 travels in a circular path, the axis of which is the axis of shaft I3.

What I claim is: l. In a centrifugal casting machine a manuall driven upstanding operating shaft permanently inclined with respect to the vertical, a hanger shaft disposed at an oblique angle to said operating shaft and having all of its points travelling in circular paths and with no two of said points being in the same plane', said shafts having coacting interengaging means for adjustably mounting the hanger shaft on the upper end of the operating shaft and for permanently maintaining the hanger 'shaft at an oblique angle to the operating shaft, said hanger shaft projecting through and .ing the hanger shaft on the upper end of the ends of the hanger shaft, a casting element carextending from that part of said means on said operating shaft, a pair of oppositely disposed suspension members, means attached to the ends of the hanger shaft and coacting with parts of the latter and with parts of said members for forming universal connections between the upper ends of said members and the ends of the hanger shaft, a casting element carrier, means for pivotally connecting the upper end of the carrier to the lower end of one of said members, a counterbalance, and means connected to the counterbalance and coacting with a part of the latter and with a part of said other member for forming a universal connection between the lower end of the said other member and said counterbalance.

2. In a centrifugal casting machine a manually-driven upstanding operating shaft permanently inclined with respect to the vertical, a hanger shaft dis osed at an oblique angle to said operating shaft and having all of its points travelling in circular paths and with no two of said points being in the same plane, said shafts having coacting interengaging means for adjustably mountoperating shaft and for permanently maintaining the hanger shaft at an oblique angle to the operating shaft, said hanger shaft projecting through and extending from that part of said means on said operating shaft, a pair of oppositely disposed suspension members, means attached to the ends of the hanger shaft and coacting with parts of the latter and with parts of said members for forming universal connection between the upper ends of said members and the rier, means for pivotally connecting the upper end of the carrier to the lower end of one of said members, a counterbalance, and means connected to the counterbalance and coacting with a part. of the latter and with a part of said other member for forming a universal connection between the lower end of the said other member and said counterbalance,and a driving structure for and connected to said operating shaft, said structure having means for clamping it to and at an inclination with respect to a support therefor for maintaining said driving shaft at an inclination to the vertical.

3. In a centrifugal casting machine a manually drivenl upstanding operating shaft permanently inclined with respect to the vertical, a hanger shaft disposed at an oblique angle to said operating shaft and having all of its points travelling in circular paths and with no two of said points being in the same plane, said shafts having coacting interengaging means for adjustably mounting the hanger shaft on the upper end of the operating shaft and for permanently maintaining the hanger shaft at an oblique angle to the operating shaft, said hanger shaft projecting through and extending fromA that part of said means on said operating shaft, a pair of oppositely disposed suspension members, means attached to the ends of the h anger shaft and coacting with parts of the latter and with parts of said members for forming universal connections between the upper ends of. said members and the ends of the hanger shaft, a casting element carrier, means for pivotally connecting the upper end of the carrier to the lower end of one of said members, a counterbalance, and means connected to the counterbalance and coacting with a part of the latter and with a part of said other member for forming a universal connection between the lower end of the said other member and said counterbalance, that part of said mounting means on said operating shaft being arranged at the upper end of and disposed at an angle to the axis of such shaft and extending at an inclination from one of its ends to the other.

4. In a centrifugal casting machine a manually driven upst-anding operating shaft permanently inclined with respect to the vertical, a hanger shaft disposed at an oblique angle to said operating shaft and having all of its points travelling in circular paths and with no two of said points being in the same plane, said shafts having coacting interengaging means for adjustably mounting the hanger shaft on the upper end of the operating shaft and for permanently maintaining the hanger shaft at an oblique angle t the operating shaft, said hanger shaft projecting through and extending from thatvpart of said means on said operating shaft, a pair of oppositey disposed suspension members, means attached to the ends of the hanger shaft and c0- acting with parts of the latter and with parts of said members for forming universal connections between the upper ends of said members and the ends of the hanger shaft, a casting element carrier, means for pivotally connecting the upper end of the carrier to the lower end of one of said members, a counterbalance, and means connected to the counterbalance and coacting with a part of the latter and with a part of said other member for forming a universal connection between the lower end of the said other member and said counterbalance, and a driving structure for and connected. to said operating shaft, said structure aving means for clamping it to and at an inclination with respect to a support therefor for maintaining said driving shaft at an inclination to the vertical, that part of said mounting means on said operating shaft being arranged at the upper end of and disposed at an angle to the axis of such shaft and extending at an inclination from one of its ends to the other.

5. In a centrifugal casting machine, an upstanding operating shaft permanently inclined with respect to the vertical, a hanger shaft disposed at an oblique angle to said operating shaft and having all of its points travelling in circular paths and with no two of said points being in the same plane, means for connecting the hanger shaft intermediate its ends to the upper end of the operating shaft and for permanently maintaining the hanger shaft in oblique angled relation with respect to the operating shaft, said hanger shaft being formed at each end edge with a recess, a pair of opposltely disposed suspension members each having a. globular enlargement at one end seating in a recess, means for loosely connecting said enlargement in said recess and in extended relation with respect to the ends of said hanger shaft, a casting element carrier, means for pivotally connecting one end of said carrier to the other end of one o f said members, a counterbalance having a recess at one end, the other of said members having its other end formed with a globular enlargement seating in the recess of said counterbalance, means engaging with said counterbalance for loosely connesting in the latter the globular enlargement on the said other end of the said other suspension member, and a driving structure for said operating shaft.

6. In a centrifugal casting machine, an upstanding operating shaft permanently inclined with respect to the vertical, a hanger shaft disposed at an oblique angle to said operating shaft and having all of its points travelling in circular paths and with no two of said points being inthe same plane, means for connecting the hanger shaft intermediate its end to the upper end of the operating shaft and for permanently maintaining the hanger shaft in oblique angled relation with respect to the operating shaft, said hanger 'shaft being formed at each end edge with a recess, a pair of oppositely disposed suspension members each having a globular enlargement at one end seating in a recess, means for loosely connecting said enlargement in said recess and in extended relation with respect tothe ends of said hanger shaft, a casting element carrier, means for pivotally connecting one end of said carrier to the other end of one of said members, a counterbalance having a recess at one end, the other of said members having its other end formed with a globular enlargement seating in the recess of said counterbalance, means engaging with said counterbalance for loosely connect-ing in the latter the globular enlargement on the said other end of the said other suspension member, and a driving structure for said operating shaft, said driving structure being pro- `vided with means for clamping it to a support and for maintaining said operating shaft at an inclination with respect to the vertical.

7. In a centrifugal casting machine, an upstanding manually actuated operating shaft permanently disposed at an inclination to the vertical, a hanger shaft, a pivoted mold carrier universally movably suspended from one end of saidv hanger shaft, a counterbalance universally movably suspended from the other end of said hanger shaft, and means for connecting said hanger shaft intermediate its ends to the upper end of and for disposing the hanger shaft at an oblique angle to said operating shaft, said means providing for the revolving of the carrier in circular paths by said operating shaft.

' 8. In a centrifugal casting machine, an vupstanding operating shaft permanently inclined to the vertical, a horizontal hanger shaft for revolving in circular paths, operated by said operating shaft and permanently disposed at an oblique angle to the operating shaft, a mold carrier, a counterbalance, means for loosely suspending the mold carrier from one end of the hanger shaft, means for loosely suspending the counterbalance from the other end of said hanger shaft, and means for connecting the hanger shaft intermediate its ends to the upper end of the operating shaft and for permanently maintaining the hanger shaft at an oblique angle to the operating shaft.

9. In a centrifugal casting machine, a revoluble hanger shaft, a counterweight, a, mold carrier, a combined connection and suspension structure for said counterweight having mea-ns at one end for universally coupling one end thereof to one end of said shaft and means at its other end for universally coupling the other end thereof to said counterweight, and combined connection and suspension structure' for said carrier having means at one end for universally coupling one end thereof to the other end of said shaft and means at its other end for pivotally connecting the other end thereof to said carrier.

WEBSTER I. CARPENTER. 

